Died On This Date (March 8, 2012) Jimmy Ellis / Lead Singer Of The Trammps; Had Huge Hit With “Disco Inferno”
themusicsover Jimmy Ellis
DOB Unkown – March 8, 2012
Jimmy Ellis is best remembered the lead singer for the popular disco group, the Trammps. Formed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1972, the R&B outfit first flirted with success with their unlikely cover of “Zing! Went The Strings Of My Heart,” a song originally made famous by Judy Garland some 30 years earlier. The following year, they released “Love Epidemic,” widely considered their first disco song. In 1976, they put out what would become their signature tune, “Disco Inferno,” a high-energy dance number that went on to help define the disco era. The song wasn’t initially a big hit, but when it was re-released as part of the Saturday Night Fever film and soundtrack in 1978, it hit the mainstream and landed at #11 on the pop charts. The song then took on a life of its own as it was played in heavy rotation at discotheques around the world and virtually every disco-themed party ever since. Its celebratory refrain can still also be heard at most major sports arenas around the US. It has also been covered by the likes of Cyndi Lauper and Tina Turner. In 2005, “Disco Inferno” was inducted into the Dance Music Hall of Fame. The Trammps’ other hits included “The Night The Lights Went Out” and “Disco Party.” Jimmy Ellis was 74 when he passed away in a nursing home on March 8, 2012.
What You Should Own
Born in St. Louis, MO, David Peaston grew up to be a successful Gospel and R&B singer during the ’90s. After starting out as a teacher, Peaston moved to New York City during the early ’80s in order to pursue a career in music. After winning several televised singing competitions, he was signed to Geffen Records who released his first single, “Two Wrongs (Don’t Make It Right,” which reached #3 on the Billboard R&B chart in 1989. Several charting singles and popular albums followed. His mother, Martha Bass, was part of the Clara Ward Singers, while his sister, Fontella Bass has enjoyed tremendous success as a singer as well. David Peaston died from complications of diabetes on February 1, 2012. He was 54.
Don Cornelius was the creator, writer, producer, and host of the extremely influential American dance program, Soul Train. Launched in October of 1961 after Cornelius noticed a void of nationally broadcast television shows that catered to the African-American audience, Soul Train ran until March of 2006. Cornelius hosted the program from its inception until 1993. Soul Train has been praised for influencing countless African-American kids while bringing black music into the white neighborhoods. Over the years, the show featured lip-synched performances by everyone from 
Ronnie Smith was a trumpet player and songwriter who is perhaps best remembered as an original member of one of the disco era’s biggest and most enduring bands, KC & the Sunshine Band. Thanks to contributions from Smith, the group created the blueprint for the upbeat and horn-driven “Miami sound” that acts like the Miami Sound Machine and Gloria Estefan would later follow. A dynamic performer on stage, Smith was often the horn section’s focal point and choreographed its funky dance moves. Prior to his tenure in the Sunshine Band, Smith formed the Ocean Liner Band who backed R&B great, Betty Wright, and played on countless recordings released by the legendary Miami label, TK Records. He also wrote “Spank,” which became a big disco hit by Jimmie “Bo” Horne in 1978. That same year, Smith released his one an only album, Party Freaks (Come On) as Ron Louis Smith. In 2004, he was attacked during a car-jacking that left him in a coma and hospitalized ever since. An arrest was never made. Ronnie Smith ultimately died of his injuries on January 21, 2012. He was 59.